Yesterday I was bathed in Bach. For two glorious hours a Bach Organ Marathon was held in a local church built much like a mini cathedral. Structured to direct one’s vision upward to lofty ceilings (I know there is a better word for this) of deep coral traced with gold, the nave conveyed the grandeur of God. On either side of the center aisle, flanking the altar, stood banks of pipes waiting to be given voice by the Moller organ console placed between them for this event.

Seasoned organists, and those in training–nine in all–participated. One of them called the organ the king of instruments, and as the afternoon progressed, there could be no disputing that statement. The intricacies of note, tone, color, depth, breadth, vibration, thunder and wonder poured out from the chancel to the pews. Completely surrounded and penetrated by the weavings and inter-weavings of Bach’s music I soared and dove, losing my earth-bound self to his musical genius.

At one point, (was it the Prelude and Fugue in C minor?) thoughts and ideas came so fast I had to jot them hurriedly on my purse note pad….

As patterns of sound weave and interweave throughout my being, they expand my very core and essence. All sound derives from God who is Himself “The Word.” There can be nothing outside of God and therefore this music as written for His glory is in some way an expression of Him, as is all nature. The unique patterns of notes are a particular expression of God — as is each flower, each person.
There is no arrangement of sound/music/notes which can be outside of God. There can be, however, a contamination and distortion introduced which defiles rather than enlarge and bless the soul.

Then I began to ponder about sound being a slowed down form of light and God’s self description of being Light and the source of light. Physicists tell us that light is unique in that the speed is constant, always and ever constant, the one unchangeable factor in all creation. Hmm, God is unchanging. Scientists also say that another distinctive of light is that it is both wave, and particle. It is always in motion (the wave) and can be measured in one segment (the particle.) Hmm. God is in constant motion, everywhere at once, and at the same time is particular to each part, each person of His creation. Staggering!

So enveloped in a cascade of melody, point and counterpoint, I was experiencing a
a different and freah expression of God himself.
As Bach wrote at the bottom of each of his compositions, Soli Deo Gloria: Glory to God Alone